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Nigeria: Tribunal Sacks Ondo Speaker
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Daily Champion (Lagos)
3 July 2008
Posted to the web 3 July 2008
Sunday Kudaisi
Akure
Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal yesterday nullified the election of the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon. Bakkita Bello.
This happened exactly 24 hours after the same tribunal quashed the election of Senator Gbenga Ogunniya, a three-term Senator representing Ondo Central who is also the Senate committee chairman on Police Affairs.
In the judgment, read by Justice Ijem Onweanmegbu, the tribunal also voided the election of a House of Representatives member for Ilaje Ese Odo Federal Constituency, Hon. Agboola Ajayi and upheld the election of Hon Lad Ojomo, representing Ono/Ose constituency.
In sacking the Speaker who represents Akoko North-west in the assembly, the tribunal submitted that the election the April 14, 2007, that brought him into office was marred by irregularities and fraud.
Justice Onweanmegbu ruled that results of the election were in crisis as they contradicted themselves and ran riot of the documents tendered to the tribunal.
The tribunal said that political office holders in the constituency, particularly the chief law officer of the state, Yemi Alao, signed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) election results, which is contrary to section 46 of the Electoral Act.
The INEC, the tribunal said, had earlier written in a letter, which was tendered to the tribunal as exhibit that some ballot boxes were hijacked during the election in the Akoko North and Akoko West areas of Ondo State.
The letter that was admitted corroborated the oral evidence of the petitioner that ballot boxes were hijacked by agents of political office holders in the constituency.
The election was therefore nullified for non-compliance with Electoral Act 2006 and ordered a fresh election within 60 days.
On the Ilaje/Ese-Odo, the tribunal ruled that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hijacked the election, adding that when over 90 per cent of the votes cast were manipulated by the PDP it showed that there was no election held in the constituency.
The tribunal said the election in Ilaje /Ese-odo was marred by irregularities manipulation by the political party and party officials; hence it did not comply with the Electoral Act 2006.
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But upholding the election of the House of Representatives member from Owo/Ose Federal Constituency, Hon. Lad Ojomo, the tribunal ruled that the petitioner, Mr. Omosule Eniolorunda, of the Labour Party, did not prove his case beyond reasonable doubt.
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